Comparative growth of seven species of micro-algae in artificial and natural media

Results of an experiment to compare the growth of seven species of microalgae in natural seawater and an artificial medium are presented. Artificial medium was found to support better growth of algae under identical culture conditions. Based on the findings, the artificial medium was suggested as ideal for maintenance of stock cultures in the shrimp hatcheries along the east coast where temporal variations in hydrological conditions are well known

Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic dye degradation studies of novel defect pyrochlore, KHf0.5Te1.5O6

1092-1099In this study, KHf0.5Te1.5O6 (KHTO) semiconductor has been synthesized by the solid-state method. The synthesized material is characterized using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, field emission-scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and N2 adsorption/desorption measurements. The material is found to be crystallized in a cubic lattice with the space group Fdm . The bandgap energy of the KHTO is 2.6 eV. The photocatalytic activity of KHTO has been investigated by measuring the degradation of methylene blue (MB) and methyl violet (MV) dyes under the visible light irradiation. The mechanistic dye degradation pathway of MB has been studied. The radical quenching experiments reveal that the short-lived species O2●-, OH●, and h+ actively participate in the degradation of MB and MV dyes. An additional terephthalic acid experiment has been carried out to establish the participation of OH● radicals in the dye degradation. The stability and reusability of the KHTO catalyst are also studied

Transition metal ion (Ni2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+) doped defect pyrochlore, KTaTeO6: Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic studies

One of the strategies to decrease the bandgap energy and increase the optical absorption ofthe catalysts is to dope with transition metal ions. In this paper, the results obtained for thedegradation of methylene blue (MB) pollutant in the presence of M2+ (M = Ni, Cu, and Zn) doped KTaTeO6 (here after abbreviated as M-KTTO) upon visible light irradiation are presented.The parent KTaTeO6 and the M2+ (M = Ni, Cu, and Zn) doped KTaTeO6 were prepared by solidstate and ion-exchange methods, respectively. All the samples were characterized by XRD,SEM/EDX, FT-IR, UV-Vis DRS, XPS, and PL techniques. The metal ion doping in place of K+has influenced the electronic and optical properties considerably. The doping of M2+ into KTTOlattice has narrowed the bandgap energy, increased the visible light absorbance leading to higherphotocatalytic activity. The M-KTTO materials show higher photocatalytic activity compared toparent KTTO, in particularly Cu-KTTO. The scavenging experiments indicate that •OH radicalsare the main active species involved in the photodegradation of MB. The Cu-KTTO ischemically stable and can be used at least up to five cycles. The mechanistic pathway of MBdegradation was proposed over Cu-KTTO

Synthesis, characterization and photocatalytic dye degradation studies of novel defect pyrochlore, KHf0.5Te1.5O6

We report the solid-state synthesis of KHf0.5Te1.5O6 (KHTO), its characterization and employment as photocatalyst for methylene blue and methyl violet degradations in aqueous solution. The material was subjected to X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), N2 adsorption/desorption and XPS measurements. The material was crystallized in a cubic lattice with the   space group. The bandgap energy of the KHTO is 2.60 eV. The photocatalytic methylene blue (MB) and methyl violet (MV) dyes degradation efficiency of KHTO was investigated under the visible light irradiation. The mechanistic dye degradation pathway of MB was studied. The radical quenching experiments reveal that the short-lived species O2●-, OH●, and h+ actively participate in the degradation of MV and MB dyes. An additional terephthalic acid experiment was carried out to establish the participation of OH● radicals in the dye degradation process. The stability and reusability of the KHTO catalyst were also studied

Whole genomic sequence analysis of \u3ci\u3eBacillus infantis\u3c/i\u3e: defining the genetic blueprint of strain NRRL B-14911, an emerging cardiopathogenic microbe

Background: We recently reported the identification of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 that induces heart autoimmunity by generating cardiac-reactive T cells through molecular mimicry. This marine bacterium was originally isolated from the Gulf of Mexico, but no associations with human diseases were reported. Therefore, to characterize its biological and medical significance, we sought to determine and analyze the complete genome sequence of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911. Results: Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, sequence analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic transcribed spacers, phenotypic microarray, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-offlight mass spectrometry, we propose that this organism belongs to the species Bacillus infantis, previously shown to be associated with sepsis in a newborn child. Analysis of the complete genome of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 revealed several virulence factors including adhesins, invasins, colonization factors, siderophores and transporters. Likewise, the bacterial genome encodes a wide range of methyl transferases, transporters, enzymatic and biochemical pathways, and insertion sequence elements that are distinct from other closely related bacilli. Conclusions: The complete genome sequence of Bacillus sp. NRRL B-14911 provided in this study may facilitate genetic manipulations to assess gene functions associated with bacterial survival and virulence. Additionally, this bacterium may serve as a useful tool to establish a disease model that permits systematic analysis of autoimmune events in various susceptible rodent strains

Not Available

Not AvailableResults of an experiment to compare the growth of seven species of microalgae in natural seawater and an artificial medium are presented. Artificial medium was found to support better growth of algae under identical culture conditions. Based on the findings, the artificial medium was suggested as ideal for maintenance of stock cultures in the shrimp hatcheries along the east coast where temporal variations in hydrological conditions are well known.Not Availabl

Not Available

Not AvailableResults of an experiment to compare the growth of seven species of microalgae in natural seawater and an artificial medium are presented. Artificial medium was found to support better growth of algae under identical culture conditions. Based on the findings, the artificial medium was suggested as ideal for maintenance of stock cultures in the shrimp hatcheries along the east coast where temporal variations in hydrological conditions are well known.Not Availabl

Factors affecting the mechanical properties of compact bone and miniature specimen test techniques: a review

This paper presents the review concerning mechanical properties of bone and the miniature specimen test techniques. For developing a realistic understanding of how factors such as moisture content, mineralization, age, species, location, gender, rate of deformation etc. affect the mechanical properties of bone, it is critical to understand the role of these factors. A general survey on existing research work is presented on this aspect. The essential features of miniature specimen test techniques are described, along with the application of small punch test method to evaluate the mechanical behavior of materials. The procedure for the determination of tensile and fracture properties, such as: yield strength, ultimate strength, ductility, fracture toughness etc. using small punch test technique have been described. The empirical equations proposed by various investigators for the prediction of tensile and fracture properties are presented and discussed. In some cases, the predictions of material properties have been essentially made through the finite element simulation. The finite element simulation of miniature specimen test technique is also covered in this review. The use of inverse finite element procedure for the prediction of uniaxial tensile constitutive behaviour of materials is also presented

Production, characterization, and immunogenicity of a secreted form of Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 4 produced in Bacillus subtilis

Plasmodium falciparum is the causative agent of the most serious form of malaria. Although a combination of control measures has significantly limited malaria morbidity and mortality in the last few years, it is generally agreed that sustained control or even eradication will require additional tools including an effective malaria vaccine. Merozoite surface protein 4, MSP4, which is present during the asexual stage of P. falciparum, is a recognized target that would be useful in a subunit vaccine against blood stages of malaria. Falciparum malaria is most prevalent in developing countries, and this in turn leads to a requirement for safe, low-cost vaccines. We have attempted to utilize the nonpathogenic, gram-positive organism Bacillus subtilis to produce PfMSP4. PfMSP4 was secreted into the culture medium at a yield of 4.5 mg/L. Characterization studies including SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, and N-terminal sequencing indicated that the B. subtilis expression system secreted a full length PfMSP4 protein compared to a truncated version in Escherichia coli. Equivalent amounts of purified B. subtilis and E. coli-derived PfMSP4 were used for immunization studies, resulting in statistically significant higher mean titer values for the B. subtilis-derived immunogen. The mouse antibodies raised against B. subtilis produced PfMSP4 that were reactive to parasite proteins as evidenced by immunoblotting on parasite lysate and indirect immunofluorescence assays of fixed parasites. The B. subtilis expression system, in contrast to E. coli, expresses higher amounts of full length PfMSP4 products, decreased levels of aggregates, and allows the development of simplified downstream processing procedures